Gaming

Now Playing: Wuchang: Fallen Feathers

Amazing combat but imbalanced difficulty

Published

July 25, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

Soulslikes are a dime a dozen these days. People just can’t get enough of ultra difficult RPGs that can rip your hair out. This year alone has seen the launch of Elden Ring Nightreign, The First Berserker: Khazan, and Lies of P: Overture. Today, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers joins this crowded list, touting flowing combat and a dense story. Is it a worthy addition to the Soulslike tradition, or have we finally reached genre fatigue?

An audacious debut

With only a modest VR game released in the past, Leenzee makes its true industry debut with Wuchang: Fallen Feathers. As with all Soulslikes, Wuchang will endlessly tempt players into flinging their expensive controllers into the wall over its difficult boss fights. To entice players to keep going, the game also has a rich backstory they can carve out only through drip-fed lore nuggets.

Bai Wuchang, a female pirate, wakes up with amnesia (a perennial disease of every Soulslikes protagonist) in the lands of Shu. She also finds herself infected with a disease called Feathering. However, unlike other infected individuals, Wuchang remains lucid and doesn’t turn into a demonic monstrosity. Armed with her changdao (and an assortment of other weapons she can find along the way), she must traverse this awful land in search of answers to her mysterious disease.

Combat that caters to a true variety of play styles

Even if they offer enough weapons to fill an armory, Soulslikes can easily fall into the trap of making only a few options viable to play through the entire game. Wuchang avoids this problem by making each available weapon type as exciting as the others.

In the game, players can pick up longswords, one-handed swords, dual blades, spears, and axes. Each of these comes with a dedicated skill tree which unlocks new attacks, combos, and weapon upgrades. The spoke-like skill tree also has one additional branch catering to general upgrades such as the number of healing flask uses.

Personally, I prefer using one-handed swords and dual blades. But each weapon type is just as exciting because of how many combos you can chain together in combat.

Plus, there’s an interesting Skyborn Might system. Every successful dodge (or as triggered by some effects) grants you a charge of Skyborn Might, which you can then spend on powerful skills and spells. Because of how powerful these abilities are, it’s impossible to ignore this system. Most of my boss battles involved a rinse-and-repeat of recharging my Skyborn Might, expending them on one powerful attack, and backing away to do it again.

The Madness system also needs a big shoutout. The more she dies, the more Wuchang’s madness meter fills up. Higher madness means higher damage dealt… and taken. Certain skills are also unlocked based on madness level. A completely filled up madness meter results in an evil manifestation which hunts players down. It’s an excellent risk-reward system that rewards and punishes aggressive play styles. This is the game’s bright spot in my opinion.

Imbalanced difficulty cheapens the experience

That said, Wuchang has a difficulty problem. Now, as my colleagues and friends can attest to, I love the Soulslike genre. I thrive under the extreme challenge and the thrill of conquering a difficult boss. However, this game just pushes the boundaries of what’s acceptable.

A balanced diet of difficulty spikes is crucial to how enjoyable a Soulslike is. My favorite games in the genre often feature a gradual escalation of difficulty. Spikes are always designed to teach valuable mechanics in the game. For example, a rather difficult early-game boss (see: Father Gascoigne from Bloodborne) wants to teach players how to dodge properly, instead of just mashing the attack button.

Wuchang doesn’t feel balanced in this way. Right from the beginning, the game pits you against difficult enemies and unrelenting traps.

The difficulty is a problem because of poise. Now, poise is an 0ft-hidden mechanic in Soulslikes, which determines whether a character staggers when attacked. A character with high poise, for instance, can tank through an enemy’s hits to land a counterattack. Meanwhile, a low-poise character will stagger and have their animations cancelled. Wuchang has as much poise as a butterfly beelining towards a plane’s turbine. Every enemy attack, especially in the early game, staggers her, leading to an uninterrupted barrage of blows and (often) a game over screen. On the other hand, enemies have the poise of a brick wall. The imbalance is too much like a game of attrition where you constantly have to dodge with very little chance to launch a counterattack.

The traps, on the other hand, are way too many. It’s normal for a Soulslike to lure players into seemingly innocent situations, only to spring a surprise enemy. Wuchang relies on this too much. Every corner feels like it houses a hidden monstrosity. Having too much of traps is just the same as having none at all — but it’s worse because I have to pussyfoot everywhere.

Unoptimized engine creates too much load times

Normally, I don’t complain about the lack of optimization. I’m usually patient enough to withstand longer loading times. So, when I complain about Wuchang‘s lack of optimization, it’s saying something.

Loading times are longer than what most games take on modern hardware. Even the act of resting at a shrine (and thereby resetting the world) feels like it takes way longer than it should. Ironically, the game itself only has a modest file size, so it’s not like it has a huge pool to draw resources from.

Additionally, the graphics are strangely wonky. Don’t get me wrong; Wuchang is a beautiful game. But the odd dips in quality takes me out a bit. Now, I prefer playing on framerate mode, but I’m still losing frames. Certain UI elements, such as the meter that determines when an enemy staggers, become too pixelated to be of much use.

For reference, I played the game on a PlayStation. This is the first time I’ve ever experienced quality this poor on this machine.

Should you play Wuchang: Fallen Feathers?

In a segment as saturated as the Soulslike genre, having a truly revolutionary title is out of the question already. Wuchang: Fallen Feathers doesn’t add much to the segment, but it does get combat right. Among its peers, it has one of the most dynamic systems that can chain moves and combos easily with an abundance of skills and spells. Plus, the inspired madness system makes death much more impactful than other games.

That said, I wouldn’t call this an extremely polished game. The imbalanced difficulty and unoptimized engine prevent this game from achieving significant heights. However, Leenzee can easily fix this with a couple of patches. At its current state during my review, it still needs tweaking. I don’t think I’m tired of the Soulslike genre, but games like Wuchang don’t really help.

Gaming

New Civilization VII update will address everyone’s biggest issue

Soon, everyone can play as a single Civ.

Published

February 3, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Despite being enjoyable in its current state, Sid Meier’s Civilization VII is a work in progress. Firaxis Games is still working on improvements, especially as suggested by the franchise’s fans. Now, approaching the new game’s first anniversary, Civilization VII is getting a massive patch, called the Test of Time update, later this spring.

Playing as a single Civ

Test of Time will address the biggest problem that players had with the base game: the inability to play as a single Civ. Currently, players are forced to evolve into Age-appropriate Civs at the end of the previous Age. The system leads to odd histories, such as Maurya somehow evolving into modern-day America.

Starting with the update, players can now take a single Civ across the test of time. And it’s not a shoehorned feature, too. Civs will now have an Apex Age, meaning the Age they were historically associated with. Playing Civs outside of their Apex Age will introduce a new kit that corresponds to the other Ages.

Plus, this also introduces a new system called Syncretism. Playing a Civ outside of their Age allows players to choose a unique military unit or infrastructure from other Civs to help bolster their strategy.

The new system works in reverse too. Players can start a game in the Modern Age using an Antiquity Age Civ. Finally, if players decide to use this system, the AI will follow suit, ensuring an equal playing field.

Reworked victory conditions

Besides the playability of Civs, Civilization VII will rework Victories. Instead of a clear path to victory via Legacy Paths (which players have complained as being too rigid), the new Triumph system will introduce new optional objectives to prod players further down the line of victory.

Plus, getting extraordinary progress in one victory condition can help players earn victory even before the Modern Age. Victory can be earned as early as the Exploration Age, but Firaxis has not explained how this can happen.

Firaxis says that the new system should help the game feel more dynamic and exciting after the Antiquity Age.

Now, to celebrate the actual anniversary, players will get access to a new leader, Gilgamesh, a fan favorite from the previous game. He will be free for all players with update 1.3.2.

Gaming

CM Punk graces cover of WWE 2K26

The game will feature over 400 playable characters, the largest to date.

Published

February 3, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Compared to the gigantic NBA 2K, WWE 2K is a relatively small series. Well, with thirty teams and a healthy roster of hall of famers, that’s no surprise. This year, however, WWE 2K26 wants to catch up, featuring the biggest roster that the franchise has ever had and a plethora of new features.

WWE 2K26 will feature over 400 playable characters, which includes current Superstars from RAW, SmackDown, and NXT. As always, Legends and Hall of Famers will be playable wrestlers.

This year, however, the roster of classics are much healthier. Specifically, there are three different editions dedicated to past wrestlers. The first, called The King of Kings Edition, centers the spotlight on Hall of Famer and Chief Content Officer, Triple H (or Paul Levesque). The Attitude Era Edition features Superstars from that era, including Stone Cold Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, and The Rock. Finally, the Monday Night Wars Edition includes Superstars from WCW such as the nWo’s Hollywood Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall.

Meanwhile, the Standard Edition features a Superstar that’s been no less decorated over the years. CM Punk, who will also grace the cover, will have his entire career featured in the annual 2K Showcase.

For gameplay, WWE 2K26 has four new match types: I Quit, Inferno, Three Stages of Hell, and Dumpster. Intergender matches are also available now. The environment is now more interactable with more usable weapons. Plus, the Stamina and Reversal systems have been reworked.

The Standard Edition (US$ 69.99) launches on March 13 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.

The King of Kings Edition (US$ 99.99), the Attitude Era Edition (US$ 129.99), and the Monday Night War Edition (US$ 149.99) will all launch a week prior, on March 6.

Gaming

PlayStation, LE SSERAFIM Chaewon team for the ‘Love of Play’ campaign

Chaewon meets PlayStation

Published

February 3, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles

PlayStation is kicking off 2026 the Chaewon way.

Sony has officially teamed up with KIM CHAEWON of LE SSERAFIM for its New Year “Love of Play” campaign, blending cozy moments, playful energy, and very real gamer vibes into one stylish collaboration that spans videos, promos, and some surprisingly cute merch.

At the heart of the campaign is a four-part video series built around how we actually play: Family, Friends, Sisters, and Solo. The first episode, Family, is already live, with the remaining episodes rolling out daily from February 4 to 6. Each one leans into a different mood, but the message stays the same—PlayStation fits whether you’re gaming alone, hanging out, or sharing the screen with people you love.

Chaewon, meanwhile, is clearly having fun with it.

Chaewon’s PlayStation picks

In an interview released alongside the campaign, she shared that her very first PlayStation game was Stray on PS5—yes, the cat one—and that she instantly fell for its atmosphere and puzzles. She also tried out a full lineup of DualSense controller colors during the shoot, calling out Chroma Indigo for its elegant look, while admitting that Midnight Black still feels the most “her.”

And when asked about the most fun game she’s played so far? Astro Bot took the crown, with Chaewon praising the DualSense’s haptics and adaptive triggers for making the experience feel extra special.

Naturally, PlayStation is turning that energy into rewards. Fans across Asia can join upcoming social campaigns for a chance to win DualSense wireless controllers signed by Chaewon, with more details dropping on PlayStation Asia’s Instagram channels.

Festive New Year Sale 2026

The collaboration also ties directly into PlayStation’s Festive New Year Sale 2026, which runs from February 6 to 19 at participating retailers. Expect discounts on PS5 consoles, accessories, and a long list of games, including Astro Bot, God of War Ragnarök, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Stellar Blade, Ghost of Yotei, and more. Deals vary by market, but this is one of those sales where both hardware upgrades and backlog shopping make sense.

There’s also a lifestyle twist.

PlayStation has partnered with South Korean brand Wiggle Wiggle for a limited-edition “Love of Play” merchandise set featuring PlayStation-branded home slippers, acrylic clips, and coasters. The set is available through select PlayStation Asia social activities, including a live Instagram Stories sticker contest where fans can decorate a template, post it, and tag PlayStation Asia for a chance to win.

The Wiggle Wiggle collab is available in South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines, making it a fun bonus for fans who like their gaming gear a little more colorful.

More Chaewon content is still on the way, too. PlayStation will release additional short-form videos, including “Unstoppable Play!” on February 5 and “Balance Game” on February 11, exclusively on its official Instagram and Facebook channels.

Between the videos, the sale, and the merch, this PlayStation x Kim Chaewon collaboration feels less like a one-off endorsement and more like a full-on New Year mood—and honestly, that tracks.